Hello My Sweet Readers,
It seems many of you simply don't receive the whole newsletter (it doesn't open fully) or, if you do, you don't scroll down to see if you're the monthly newsletter subscriber winner. Three months have passed without someone claiming the giveaway. Can you believe it? I'm shocked. I mean, you all KNOW by now that there is a giveaway every month, right? But this time, to make it easy, I'll list the winner at the top.
One of you has won a choice of any of my books, paper or e-book.
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THE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER WINNER FOR A CHOICE OF MY BOOKS IS: Margaret Rushton (scarlet begonia****@gmail.com)
The asterisks * are to keep your email semi-private.
You have until September 21st to contact me to claim your book. Email me using your above address at daryl@darylwoodgerber.com and receive the book of your choice. I look forward to hearing from you. Congratulations!
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And now for normal news . . .
I'm busy at work, writing a new suspense. The first draft is done. Woot! Love when it comes together. But it's a mess and needs work. Even so, I like where it's going. I've done lots of research, and I'm excited to tackle the next phase -- rewriting. Then I will set it aside and hunker down to write another COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY. Do you hunker? Hunkering can be so much fun! Watching hummingbirds, doing crafts, reading, researching.
In addition, I'm still doing my best to promote my latest Fairy Garden Mystery, A GLIMMER OF A CLUE. Have you read any of this series yet? I'm hoping my publisher will pick it up for a few more, but I'm not sure. Sales matter. Not resales. Not loans to pals. Sales. I hope you'll tell a friend or librarian about it. Help me keep Courtney and Fiona's adventures alive.
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You can read more about it on my website, and get into the world of the Fairy Garden Mysteries, watch the book trailer, and more below.
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What is it about?
Courtney Kelly has a shop full of delights, a cat named Pixie, a green thumb—and a magical touch when it comes to garden design. But in Carmel-by-the-Sea, things aren’t all sweetness and fairy lights . . . When Courtney’s friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose. But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle—in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less—and lobbing insults around like pickleballs. Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney's fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking “What have I done?” But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems, since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze. Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious? Or is the guilty party someone else Lana’s ticked off, like her long-suffering husband? To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt . . .
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You can read more about it on my website, and get into the world of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, watch the book trailer, and more below.
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What is it about?
It will take a stroke of genius for Jenna Hart to solve the murder of a local artist . . .
Crystal Cove is buzzing with the launch of its fifth annual Art and Wine Festival, when local wineries are paired with local artists to show off their latest creations. Jenna’s thrilled to be showing one of her own amateur paintings at the fair, but her excitement quickly fades when an up-and-coming artist is murdered. What’s more, all the evidence points to a good friend of Jenna’s as the culprit, and she’ll have to use all her wits to prove his innocence before he paints himself into a corner.
Certain that her friend is being framed, Jenna tries to blend in as she starts digging into an array of colorful suspects, including a tech guru with a penchant for stalking women, the mayor’s wayward son, and an older art instructor who might have been closer to the victim than anyone would have guessed. Jenna will have to wine and dine her way through all the clues before she can see the full picture and put the real killer behind bars—all the while avoiding her own brush with death . . .
Includes tantalizing recipes!
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I will be hosting a party with my Facebook Delicious Mystery authors, Krista Davis, Amanda Flower, and Lucy Burdette on September 12 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. EDT (3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. PDT). Hope you'll join us. There will be a few giveaways and some fun chats. Here's the link: TASTY READING PARTY
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Also new, a friend talked me into tweaking my fairy gardens. I'm not a crafter by nature. I can sew and I love to garden, but "art" is not my forte. Even so, I'm having fun painting some of the figurines and items that are in the gardens that have taken a hit from the weather. I'm finding it quite soothing. This little kitten had turned a ghastly pale yellow. Isn't she adorable?
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I just finished a delicious book by debut author Joani Elliott, THE AUDACITY OF SARA GRAYSON. This follows the journey of a woman when her mother, a very famous author, passes away and bequeaths her daughter the opportunity to write the last book in a popular series. I love her self-doubt and her journey. Hope you will give it a try.
I'm listening to a hearfelt story titled CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara, set in 1944 Chicago, about a sister searching for answers about her older sister's death. Well done!
Next up, I'm reading DANGER AT THE COVE, an Island Sisters Mystery, by the wonderful Hannah Dennison. A surprise visitor makes an appearance on the island. Love Hannah's wit and sass.
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I've shared a version of this dessert with you before. My friend Marilyn Levinson (aka author Allison Brook) makes it as a bar. And it's wonderful. But I decided I wanted a coffee cake this morning, so I tweaked the recipe to get the required effect. It's lovely and light. If you want to make it using regular flour (not gluten-free), simply omit the xanthan gum and the whey powder. Plan for a longer cooking time depending on the size pan you use.
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BLUEBERRY CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE
Take 2
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(gluten-free version)
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (if you use 4 in 1, omit xanthan gum)
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons whey powder
- dash of salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 pints blueberries – 3 - 4 cups rinsed
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 12” pan with parchment paper. If you use a 13 x 9” pan, shorten baking time and expect a thinner bar-like cake.
In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, whey powder, and salt. Add in chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and add the blueberries on top. Spread evenly.
Bake 55 - 65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
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It was Sparky's birthday last week, and he got a new toy. Boy, this dog loves his new toys. He takes the white bunny everywhere with him now. It's so cute. (Though I must admit, sometimes he hates when I take pictures of him! LOL) BTW, I uploaded a YouTube birthday song when he received his toy. Enjoy. YOUTUBE SPARKY'S BIRTHDAY
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That's it. That's all that is fit to print. May your joy come from reading. May your lives be filled with love. Until next time…all my best,
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